Royal Observatory Greenwich
17th-century hilltop observatory where the Prime Meridian was born and the longitude problem was solved.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London opens with John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, burning three hundred copies of his own life's work in the park outside. You'll hear about the forty-four years he spent here mapping the sky on his own money, and the pressure Isaac Newton put on him to release data Flamsteed insisted wasn't ready. The guide follows Newton's move against him through the Royal Society and Edmond Halley's role in what finally pushed Flamsteed to the fire. Listen for how his widow Margaret carried the work forward after his death.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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